Method of fabricating a nether garment waistband



ay 28, 1968 .1. s. BRINOVEC METHOD OF FABRICATING A NEITHER GARMENT WAISTBAND Filed NOV. 4, 1966 INVENTOR. JUDITH BRINOVEC DONALD E. PORTER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,334,905 METHOD 0F FABRIQATING A NETHER GARMENT WAHSTBAND .ludith S. Brinovec, 6325 W. Center St., Milwaukee, Wis. 53216 Filed Nov. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 592,017 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-220) This invention relates to an improved nether garment waistband and the method of fabricating such waistband and attaching the same to a nether garment.

Ordinarily, in the manufacture of a nether garment (such as a skirt or trousers), the waistband therefor is fabricated as a completed, separate item, and then is attached to the body of the garment, with a tab end extending beyond one end of the body of the garment so that, when the garment is worn, the tab end overlaps and may be hooked or buttoned to the other end of the completed waistband. In one method of fabrication currently employed by garment manufacturers, such at waistband is fabricated from a rectangular strip of Waistband fabric, which has a finished or right side and an unfinished or wrong side, and which is not less than one and one-quarter inches wider than twice the desired ultimate width of the exposed, finished side of the completed waistband. The strip is folded over on itself, with the finished side of the fabric inside of the fold; the two ends of the folded strip are stitched closed; the bottom or open edge of the folded strip adjacent one end thereof (which ultimately becomes the tab end) is partially stitched closed along a seamline five-eighths of an inch above the bottom edge, in order to define the tab end; the fabric below that seamline is cut away; the folded strip is turned inside out; the two unstitched parts of the bottom edge are folded up into the folded strip to give the strip uniform width throughout its length; and that strip is placed over the top edge of the body of the garment and stitched thereto.

The method of waistband fabrication described above is wasteful, because it requires the use of a strip of fabric substantially wider than the width of the exposed, finished side of the completed waistband. Utimately, one and onequarter inches of the width of the strip is inside the completed waistband, adding only to thickness and bulk of the waistband. When the waistband is attached to the garment, five thicknesses of fabric occur immediately below the top edge of the body of the garment, Whereas only two thicknesses occur above such top edge; and the portions of waistband fabric outside the several seamlines at the tab end and the other end of the waistband overlap each other. As a consequence, the lower portion of the waistband, the tab end and the other end thereof each tend to be bulky, thick and uncomfortable to the wearer of the garment.

The present invention provides an improved method for fabricating a nether garment waistband from a strip of Waistband fabric which is only approximately one and one-eighth inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the completed waistband.

The method makes it possible for the fabricator to simultaneously fabricate the waistband, attach the waistband to the body of the garment, and stay-stitch (i.e., stitch a raw, cut edge along a sta-y-stitchline approximately onequarter of an inch below the edge, to prevent unraveling of the edge) the raw top edge of the body of the garment. The use of this method results in a completed, attached waistband, in which not more than three thicknesses of fabric occur immediately below the top edge of the body of the garment and in which the number of thicknesses of fabric are virtually uniform across the 3,384,9fi5 Patented May 28, 1968 width and length of the waistband. If desired, a relatively thick, extending tab end may be provided, to which a button or hook may be sewn or through which a button hole may be cut and finished.

The best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a fragmentary portion of a nether garment illustrating the early step of the process of the present invention of stitching of the strip of waistband fabric, which includes an extending tab end, to the unfinished or "wrong side of the body of the garment.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the unfinished side of the body of the garment and the narrow end of the strip of waistband fabric opposite the tab end thereof, illustrating a later step of the process of the present invention, namely, the stitching closed of the narrow end after the strip has been folded and before the strip has been turned inside-out.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the finished or right side of the body of the garment and the tab end of the strip of waistband fabric, illustrating a later step of the process of the present invenion, namely, the stitching closed of the tab end after the strip has been folded and before the strip has been turned inside-out.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the finished side of the body of the garment and the tab end of the waistband, illustrating the final step of the process of the present invention, namely, the joinder of the bottom of the waistband to the finished side of the body of the garment after the strip of waistband fabric has been turned inside-out.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the unfinished side of the body of the garment and the tab end of the waistband at the final step of the process of the present invention, in which one of the folds of the tab end has been distorted to show the internal configuration of the tab end.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the finished side of the body of the garment and the narrow end of the waistband at the final step of the process of the present invention.

Vhile it is contemplated that the method of the present invention generally requires the use of a gene-rally rectangular strip 1 of waistband fabric which is not less than one-half inch longer than the length of the top edge 2 of the body 3 of the nether garment, it is preferred to provide a substantial tab end 4, which (when the completed waistband is attached to the body 3) will extend beyond one end of the top edge 2 of the body 3 a sufficient distance to permit a button or hook to be attached ti ereto or a button hole to be cut therethrough. In order to provide a tab end 4, a strip 1 in excess of one-half inch longer than the length of the top edge 2 should be employed, with the amount of the excess length being equal to the desired ultimate length of the tab end 4. Accordingly, the strip 1 shown in the illustrated preferred embodiment is approximately two inches longer than the length of the top edge 2 of the body 3 of the garment, in order to provide a one and one-half inch long tab end 4 in the completed waistband.

In order to prevent an undue overlapping of thicknesses of material in the completed waistband, it is preferred that the major portion of the strip 1 be approximately one and one-eighth inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side 5 of the completed waistband. If, as illustrated, a tab end 4 is to be provided, it is necessary to employ a generally L-shaped strip 1, having a center portion 6, a relatively Wide tab end 4 which will extend beyond one end 7 of the body 3, and a narrow end 8 which will extend beyond the other end 9 of the body 3. Accordingly, as a preliminary step not shown in the drawings, a rectangular strip of waistband fabric approximately one and three-eighths inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the completed waistband is cut lengthwise along a first cutline 10. The first cutline 10 is parallel to and spaced upwardly approximately one-quarter of an inch from the bottom edge 11 of the strip 1, and is approximately equal in length to the length of the top edge 2 of body 3 of the garment and extends from the outer edge 12 of the narrow end 3 through the central portion 6 of the strip 1 to a point 13. Because the illustrated strip 1 is approximately two inches longer than the top edge 2 of the body 3 of the garment, the point 13 in the drawings is approximately two inches from the outer edge 14 of the tab end 4. The strip 1 then is cut from that point 13 to the bottom edge 11 of the strip 1, along a second cutline 15 approximately at right angles to the bottom edge 11, to form an Lshaped strip 1. The narrow end 8 and the central portion 6 comprise the leg of the L, in which the bottom edge (the first cutline 10) of the leg is approximately equal in length to the length of the top edge 2 of the body 3 and in which the width of the leg is the desired approximately one and one-eighths inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side 5 of the completed waistband. The tab end 4 comprises the base of the L, and an approximately one-quarter inch wide tab 16 is created at the bottom edge 11 of the tab end 4. A similar L-shaped strip 1 could be formed by stitching the tab 16 to the bottom edge of a one and one-eighth inch Wide strip of waistband fabric, adjacent one end thereof; but it is preferred to employ the cutting technique described above, to avoid the likelihood that such stitching would be exposed to view in the completed waistband.

In order to attach the strip 1 to the body 3 of the garment, as the next step of the process of the invention the finished or right side 5 of the strip 1 is laid against the unfinished or wrong side 17 of the body 3 of the garment, with the top edge 18 of the strip 1 even with the top edge 2 of the body 3 of the garment, and with the narrow end 8 extending beyond one end 9 of the body 3 of the garment. If no tab end 4 is to be provided for the waistband, the distance which the narrow end 8 extends beyond the end 9 of the body 3 should be approximately equal to one-half the amount by which the length of the strip 1 exceeds the length of the top edge 2 of the body 3. If, as shown, the strip 1 includes a tab end 4, the narrow end 8 should extend beyond the end 9 of the body 3 approximately one-quarter of an inch. When the strip 1 is in such position, the tab end 4 extends a substantial distance (as shown, approximately one and three-quarters inches) beyond the other end 7 of the body 3 of the garment. The strip 1 then is stitched to the body 3 of the garment along a first seamline 19, which is of conventional construction and is parallel to and spaced approximately one-quarter of an inch downwardly from the top edge 18 of the strip 1 and the top edge 2 of the body 3 of the garment, thereby providing (in addition to an attachment of the strip 1 to the body 3 of the garment) a stay-stitch. for the raw top edge 2 of the body 3.

In the next steps of the process of the present invention, which are shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the strip 1 is folded and stitched to form what, after the waistband is reversed or turned inside-out, becomes the ultimate shape of the completed waistband. The strip 1 is folded upwardly along a first foldline 20, which is defined by the first seamline 19 and an extension of the first seamline 19 through the tab end 4 to the outer edge 14 of the tab end 4. In addition, the strip 1 is folded downwardly on its finished side 5 along a second foldline 21 parallel to and spaced upwardly from the first cutline 10 a distance approximately equal to the sum of the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side 5 of the completed waistband (which, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, is one-inch) plus one-quarter of an inch. The strip 1 also is folded upwardly on its finished side 5 along a third foldline 22, which is parallel to and spaced downwardly from the second foldline 21 a distance equal to the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side 5 of the completed waistband, so that the tab 16 overlaps the finished side 5 of the strip 1 and so that the bottom edge 11 of the tab end 4 is approximately even with the top edge 18 of the strip 1. In such folded position, the portion of the tab 16 which is adjacent the outer edge 14 of the tab end 4 overlaps the portion of the finished side 5 of the strip 1 between the top edge 18 thereof and the first foldline 20; and the tab corner 23, which is defined by the outer edge 14 of the tab end 4 and the bottom edge 11 of the tab end 4, is even with the strip corner 24 defined by the outer edge 14 of the tab end 4 and I the top edge 18 of the strip 1. The several folded and overlapping portions of the tab end 4 then are stitched to each other along a second seamline 25, of conventional construction, which is parallel to andspaced inwardly approximately one-quarter of an inch from the outer edge 14 of the tab end 4, thereby stitching the tab end 4 closed.

The folding of the strip 1 as. hereinbefore described results in the several portions of the narrow end 8 assuming the relative positions shown in FIGURE 2. As a next step of the process of the present invention, the several portions of the narrow end 8 are stitched to each other in such relative positions, along a third seamline 26. The third seamline 26 also is of conventional construction, and is parallel to and intermediate the outer edge 12 of the narrow end 8 and the adjacent end 9 of the body 3 of the garment (so that such stitching will not pass through the body 3 of the garment) and extends from the second foldline 21 to but not beyond the first foldline 20. The narrow end 8 thereby is stitched partially closed, permitting the stitched strip 1 thereafter to be turned inside-out. If no tab end is to be provided, the

other end (not shown) of the strip similarly is stitched partially closed along a comparably situated and extending third seamline.

As the next step of the process of the present invention, the stitched strip 1 is reversed or turned inside-out,

with the resulting configurations of the tab end 4 shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 and the resulting configuration of the narrow end 8 shown in FIGURE 6. The portion of the finished side 5 of the strip 1 between the first outline 10 and the third fold line 22 is against the finished side 27 of the body 3 of the garment. The portions of the strip 1 respectively between the first foldline 20 and the top edge 18 of the strip 1, and between the second and third seamlines 25 and 26 and the outer edges 14 and 12 of the tab end 4 and the narrow. end 8, each are inside the reversed waistband. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the tab 16 of the tab end 4 is positioned inside the waistband between the finished side 27 of the body 3 of the garment and the unfinished side 28 of the waistband and above the first foldline 20.

As the final step of the process of the present invention, the waistband is stitched to the finished side 27 of the body 3 of the garment along-a fourth seamline 29,

which is of conventional construction, is parallel to and closely adjacent the third foldline 22, and extends the entire length of the waistband through the narrow end 8, the central portion 6 and the tab end 4. The fourth seamline 29 thereby ensures that the tab 16 will remain posi tioned inside the completed waistband when the garment is worn.

The exposed, finished side 5 of the completed waistband, and the tab end 4 and the narrow end 8 thereof, are shown in FIGURES 4 and 6. As illustrated therein,

the completed waistband does not present any unfinished edge to the viewer. Instead, a viewer of the finished side 5 of the completed waistband and the finished side 27 of the body 3 of the garment is presented with a waistband of substantially uniform width throughout its length, attached to the body 3 of the garment by a single, virtually invisible line of stitching along the fourth seamline 29.

Various modes for carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

1 claim:

1. The method of fabricating a waistband, for the body of a nether garment having ends, a top edge, a finished side and an unfinished side, from a strip of waistband fabric not less than one-half inch longer than the length of the top edge of the body and approximately one and one-eighth inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband and having ends, a center portion, a top edge, a bottom edge, a finished side and an unfinished side, and of attaching the waistband to the body of the garment, said method consisting of the steps of laying the finished side of the strip against the unfinished side of the body of the garment, with the top edge of the strip even with the top edge of the body and with each end of the strip extending beyond an adjacent end of the body a distance approximately equal to one-half of the amount by which the length of the strip exceeds the length of the top edge of the body;

stitching the strip to the unfinished side of the body along a first seamline parallel to and spaced downwardly approximately one-quarter of an inch from the top edges of the strip and the body;

folding the strip upwardly on the unfinished side of the strip along a first foldline defined by the first seamline; folding the strip downwardly on the finished side of the strip along a second foldline parallel to and spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the strip a distance approximately equal to the sum of the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband plus one-quarter of an inch;

folding the strip upwardly on the finished side of the strip and toward the body of the garment along a third foldline parallel to and spaced downwardly from the second foldline a distance equal to the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband;

stitching the ends of the strip partially closed along seamlines respectively parallel to and intermediate the outer edge of an end of the strip and the end of the body of the garment adjacent said end of the strip, and extending from the second foldline to but not beyond the first foldline;

turning the strip inside-out, with the portion of the finished side of the strip between the bottom edge of the strip and the third foldline against the finished side of the body of the garment; and

stitching the strip to the finished side of the body of the garment along a seamline parallel to and closely adjacent the third foldline.

2. The method of fabricating a waistband, for the body of a nether garment. having ends, a top edge, a finished side and an unfinished side, from a generally L-shaped strip of waistband fabric having a top edge more than one-half inch longer than the length of the top edge of the body of the garment, a finished side and an unfinished side, and in which the leg of the L is comprised of a narrow end and a center portion of the strip,

the bottom edge of the leg is approximately equal in length to the length of the top edge of the body of the garment,

the width of the leg is approximately one and oneeighth inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband, and

the base of the L comprises a tab end of the strip, which is approximately one-quarter of an inch wider than the width of the leg and which includes a tab at the bottom edge thereof, and of attaching the waistband to the body of the garment, said method consisting of the steps of laying the finished side of the strip against the unfinished side of the body of the garment, with the top edge of the strip even with the top edge of the body and with the narrow end extending approximately one-quarter of an inch beyond one end of the body of the garment;

stitching the strip to the unfinished side of the body along a first seamline parallel to and spaced downwardly approximately one-quarter of an inch from the top edges of the strip and the body;

folding the strip upwardly on the unfinished side of the strip along a first foldline defined by the first seamline and an extension thereof through the tab end;

folding the strip downwardly on the finished side of the strip along a second foldline parallel to and spaced upwardly from the bottom edge of the leg a distance approximately equal to the sum of the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband plus one-quarter of an inch;

folding the strip upwardly on the finished side of the strip and toward the body of the garment along a third foldline parallel to and spaced downwardly from the second foldline a distance equal to the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband, with the tab partially overlapping the portion of the finished side of the strip between the first foldline and the top edge of the strip and with the bottom edge of the tab end approximately even with the top edge of the strip;

stitching the tab end closed along a second seamline parallel to and spaced inwardly approximately onequarter of an inch from the outer edge of the tab end;

stitching the narrow end partially closed along a third seamline parallel to and intermediate the outer edge of the narrow end and the end of the body of the garment adjacent the narrow end, and extending from the second foldline to but not beyond the first foldline;

turning the strip inside-out, with the portion of the finished side of the strip between the bottom edge of the leg and the third foldline against the finished side of the body of the garment, and with the tab positioned between the finished side of the body and the unfinished side of the strip and above the first foldline; and

stitching the strip to the finished side of the body of the garment along a fourth seamline parallel to and closely adjacent the third foldline and extending the length of the waistband.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the generally L- shaped strip of waistband fabric is formed from a generally rectangular strip of waistband fabric more than one-half inch longer than the length of the top edge of the body and approximately one and three-eighths inches wider than the desired ultimate width of the exposed finished side of the waistband, and having a tab end, a center portion, a narrow end, a top edge, a bottom edge, a finished side and an unfinished side, by the steps of cutting the generally rectangular strip along a first outline which is parallel to and spaced upwardly approximately one-quarter of an inch from the bottom edge of the generally rectangular strip and which is approximately equal in length to the length of the top edge of the body of the garment and extends from the outer edge of the narrow end of the generally rectangular strip through the center por- 7 s tlon thereof to a point adjacent the tab end thereof, References Cited thereby forming the leg of the L of the generally UNITED STATES PATENTS -h dt' ddfi'ghbtt (1g fth 2 Sup e t e o Om e e O e 2,806,225 9/1957 Smger 2-236 2,912,699 11 1959 d' 2-221 cuttrng the generally rectangular strip along a second 5 2,953,791 Q1960 3 53;; 2 220 outline, which is approximately at right angles to the I bottom edge of the generally rectangular strip and 3463339 12/1964 Hedegaard 2220 XR extends from said point to said bottom ed e, thereby forming the base of the L and ere-Sting the JORDAN FRANKLIN Pmna'y Exammer' tab at the bottom edge of the tab end. 10 H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF FABRICATING A WAISTBAND, FOR THE BODY OF A NETHER GARMENT HAVING ENDS, A TOP EDGE, A FINISHED SIDE AND AN UNFINISHED SIDE, FROM A STRIP OF WAISTBAND FABRIC NOT LESS THAN ONE-HALF INCH LONGER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE TOP EDGE OF THE BODY AND APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE-EIGHTH INCHES WIDER THAN THE DESIRED ULTIMATE WIDTH OF THE EXPOSED FINISHED SIDE OF THE WAISTBAND AND HAVING ENDS, A CENTER PORTION, A TOP EDGE, A BOTTOM EDGE, A FINISHED SIDE AND AN UNFINISHED SIDE, AND OF ATTACHING THE WAISTBAND TO THE BODY OF THE GARMENT, SAID METHOD CONSISTING OF THE STEPS OF LAYING THE FINISHED SIDE OF THE STRIP AGAINST THE UNFINISHED SIDE OF THE BODY OF THE GARMENT, WITH THE TOP EDGE OF THE STRIP EVEN WITH THE TOP EDGE OF THE BODY AND WITH EACH END OF THE STRIP EXTENDING BEYOND AN ADJACENT END OF THE BODY A DISTANCE APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO ONE-HALF OF THE AMOUNT BY WHICH THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP EXCEEDS THE LENGTH OF THE TOP EDGE OF THE BODY; STITCHING THE STRIP TO THE UNFINISHED SIDE OF THE BODY ALONG A FIRST SEAMLINE PARALLEL TO AND SPACED DOWNWARDLY APPROXIMATELY ONE-QUARTER OF AN INCH FROM THE TOP EDGES OF THE STRIP AND THE BODY; FOLDING THE STRIP UPWARDLY ON THE UNFINISHED SIDE OF THE STRIP ALONG A FIRST FOLDLINE DEFINED BY THE FIRST SEAMLINE; 